Friday, May 31, 2019

Success does leave clues and when you are a global
brand your need to look at your strengths and leverages them around the world
and let’s face it Starbucks in the leading chain for mobile or and pay according
to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Starbucks
began to roll out the company’s Mobile Order & Pay (Starbucks Now) at 300
select stores in Beijing and Shanghai and plans to introduce this feature
across China over the next year. The status quo for coffee growth is no more in
China according to Johnson.

Starbucks Now, is a big push to help Starbucks fight-off fast
growing Luckin Coffee according to Johnson and almost anyone that follows
food start-ups around the world. allows customers to place order in advance of
their visit and pick up their beverage and food at a Starbucks store.

Luckin Coffee
small format technology driven concept should drive trepidation in the heart
and minds of every chain restaurant CEO according to Johnson.This Luckin Coffee’s business model template
will surely be duplicated and not just for coffee products according to
Johnson.

Virtual
restaurants have become a stealth growth niche according to Johnson. However this new templated business model fits
well into the grocerant niche and consumer food buying customer adoption formats
that are increasing becoming popular according to Johnson.

Innovating at the accelerated pace of modern urban
life in China, Starbucks Now allows customers to choose a store location based
on the GPS functionality of their mobile device to browse, customize a
beverage, select a food offering, view order time, and pay— wherever they may
be. Following confirmation of the order, baristas handcraft each beverage and
have the order ready to hand to the customer when they arrive at the store. The
simple convenience of mobile ordering means customers by pass the line.

Here is
our question of the day.Does your
company look more like yesterday than tomorrow?Are you innovating at the same pace as consumers or are you lagging
behind?Success does leave clues Foodservice
Solutions®
specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify,
quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu
product segment and brand and menu integration strategy. Foodservice
Solutions®
of Tacoma WA is the global leader in
the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson,
Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/ or twitter.com/grocerant

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Like
the heartbeat of America Dairy Queen (DQ)
is nestled into the heartland of the US and the minds-eye of consumers when
summer hits. Well, this year, DQ is once
again edifying its relationship with consumers with the launch of Box of Happy—a first of its
kind, experience-centric subscription box filled with hands-on fun. Customers
can sign up at DQBoxofHappy.com to receive three months of
summer-themed kits, each bringing to life a quintessential seasonal activity
with a delicious twist.

Steven Johnson,
Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes
that success does leave clues and DQ has picked up the ‘best’ from subscription
services and is edifying it’s top of mind position with families for
generations with this Limited Time Offer.

Maria
Hokanson, executive vice president of Marketing at American Dairy Queen
Corporation (ADQ) stated “Although subscription boxes are hugely popular,
today’s families are seeking unique experiences instead of more stuff,”
“DQ is taking a fresh approach with Box of Happy, inspiring parents and
kids alike to make the most out of every moment of summer.”

DQ fans
can get all three boxes—from June through August—for $45, while supplies
last. A three-month subscription includes a total of $30 in DQ gift
cards, so families can explore the NEW Blizzard Treat flavors with their
monthly deliveries.

Hokanson continued
“Families create and savor sweet memories whenever they visit
a DQ store,”. “Box of Happy extends this delightful experience
outside of our restaurants, bringing families together over campfires, road
trips and more—experiences that shape the season just as much as enjoying
soft-serve in the sunshine.”

Created in
partnership with The Coca-Cola
Company, each month’s Box of Happy will provide families with an experience
focused on a classic summer activity. How are you leveraging your partnerships
for customer relevance?

June: Camp-In Box

The
Camp-In Box is designed for families to explore the great outdoors in the
comfort of their own living room with a box full of the happiest indoor camping
gear on earth, including:

·A
built-in, faux, non-flammable campfire designed to work with a smartphone to
create a warm glow and crackling sounds of a real summer bonfire.

July’s
box will allow fans to turn their front yards in to a water park with a
collection of fun, joy-filled water games and challenges for the entire family,
including:

·A
waterproof box that opens to reveal a built-in, twisting sprinkler

·A
Splashdown activity booklet full of water-fueled outdoor games

·A $10 DQ gift
card to try the July Blizzard of the Month

August: Road Trip Box

Near or
far, the Road Trip Box aims to make fans’ journeys as happy as the
destination with supplies for their next family adventure, including:

·A
built-in smartphone camcorder case to capture smiles on the go

·An
original “Memory Maker” card set with prompts of what to capture along your
journey

· A
$10 DQ gift card to try the August Blizzard of the
Month

Although
Box of Happy shipments are limited to the first lucky fans who can snag one of
the three-month subscriptions, special elements from each kit will be available
to the public during the first week of each month. For example, once the June
Camp-In boxes are mailed to subscribers, the DQ Camp-In Shadow Puppet
Storybook will be available for digital download at DQBoxofHappy.com.

According
to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new menu
related products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which
are the platform for the new electricity.”

All
food retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the
artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh
food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not
different.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Regular
readers of this blog know the consumers love Casey's
General Stores pizza. If fact Steven
Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based
Foodservice Solutions® was the very first to tout the product positioning
of pizza at Casey’s and first to write about the outstanding success Casey’s
has found with mix and match grocerant niche food and beverage.

As
consumer evolve so does Casey’s the newest platform to help drive sales at Casey’s
is technology as they debuted a new and improved website that features a
refreshed design and enhancements to its online ordering system. Casey’s is
more than a C-store it is a restaurant / grocerant with Gas according to
Johnson.

Get this,
the changes are centered on making it easier than ever to order a Casey's pizza.Success does leave clues. Art Sebastian,
Casey's vice president of digital experiences stated "Our customers love
Casey's pizza, and we wanted to make it even easier for them to order online,…The
new Caseys.com makes our food the hero of the digital experience, helping to
solve the daily meal dilemma."

To learn
how to streamline the online ordering experience, Casey's spent time with its
customers across all 16 states in its operating footprint.Sebastian continued "We know customers
are always looking for ways to save time. Ordering breakfast, lunch or dinner
at Caseys.com gives our pizza lovers a few minutes back each day so they can do
the things they really love," "Our goal is for customers to shop
Caseys.com anytime and anywhere, when it's most convenient for them."

Ensuring
the look and feel of a restaurant Casey’s, website improvements include:

·Easier
ordering — Customers can save their "favorites" after setting up an
account. This includes favorite order, store location, preferred method of
payment and delivery address.

·Increased
customization — Customers can now order their pizza exactly how they like it,
such as selecting specific toppings for each half of the pizza; making
substitutions for sauces and toppings; and adjusting how much or how little to
use of each ingredient.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Local, ‘better for you’ sustainable products are two
things that continue to drive success, new electricity, and growth at
Burgerville according to Steven
Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice
Solutions®.

Burgerville and Coconut
Bliss, two Oregon-based companies, have collaborated on a brand
new100% plant-based, dairy-free ice cream shake. The Bliss
Shake is available at nearly all Burgerville locations
throughout Oregon and Washington.

The Bliss Shake is made with coconut milk and sweetened with organic cane
sugar, the soft serve blend was created by Coconut Bliss exclusively
for Burgerville. It’s one of the first plant-based shakes to be offered
year-round at a restaurant chain. While Burger King has the impossible
burger Burgerville now has the Bliss Shake.

Chef
Becky McGrath, director of food production at Burgerville stated “Our
guests have been requesting plant-based shakes for years,” ..“It was so
fun to work side by side with Coconut Bliss to develop this exclusive
soft serve delicious shake. We’re thrilled to now be able to offer our
guests both dairy and non-dairy options every day.”

This is important Burgerville is selling it for the same price as its
traditional dairy milkshakes, guests can order any available shake
flavor—including Oregon Fresh Berry Shakes, which will be available in
June—by saying, “Make it a Bliss.” The Bliss Shakes will be made on a
dedicated Bliss machine in each location that is separate from
the traditional dairy milkshake machine.

Coconut Bliss is also excited about this special product launch with
Burgerville, as it marks the company’s first foray into the
fast-casual restaurant sector. The Eugene, Oregon based company
strategically chose Burgerville as its partner in this important
venture, since the companies share similar customer bases as well as
an ongoing commitment to producing high-quality food.

Kim
Gibson Clark, president and CEO of Coconut Bliss stated “As a
producer of organic, ethically-produced ice cream that’s 100 percent
plant-based, Coconut Bliss knows the value of doing the right thing,
which isn’t necessarily the easy thing,” … “That’s why we believe that we have
found the perfect partner in Burgerville for this new plant-based
shake. Burgerville is known for its fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, as
well as for its commitment to sustainable business practices. We love all
that and see Burgerville aligning well with the Coconut Bliss brand,
as well as the quality of our ice cream.”

Clark
adds, “Coconut Bliss is happy to be part of the movement to add
plant-based foods, and other alternative menu items, to more dining
options and locations in order to promote healthy
living and environmentally-conscious eating practices.” How is your brand building new
electricity?

According
to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new menu
related products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which
are the platform for the new electricity.”

All
food retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the
artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh
food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not
different.

Are If you looking
for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations?
Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow?
Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your
retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient
meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more
information.

Monday, May 27, 2019

When asked What’s for
dinner? The most common answer today is I’m not cooking. Just like the old song says ‘things they are
A-changing’ Well if your cooking for an at home family meal for two, three, or
four, family members, chances are very good your buying several Ready-2-Eat or
Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared meal components according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Odds are that 85% of
consumers are not cooking all of there dinner but are buying at least one
grocerant niche meal component that is either Ready-2-Eat or a Heat-N-Eat
component. Regular readers of this blog know that grocery stores, convenience
stores, and restaurants are all bundling fresh prepared meal components for the
home cook.The home cook is responding, buying individualized components, making meal assembly of fresh prepared meal
components as the replacement for cooking from scratch.

Restaurants, Service
Deli, and C-store foodservice aided with branded and private label food
manufactures products are all vying for your dinner table. Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods from Swiss steak, Meatloaf, Baked Salmon, Rotisserie Chicken,
Pizza and Lasagna fall fresh prepared, portioned and portable in portions for 1,2,
or 5 are all available at most foodservice retail location.

Think about this, the
opportunity for new start-up’s and regional manufactures to produce sustainable
business built on local, fresh, and unique flavor profiles.Legacy national brand manufactures are
experiencing an increase in re-positioning, consolidation and acquisition
activities.Regional start-ups are
thriving supplying local restaurants, C-stores and grocery store delis.

Consumer are responding
buying meal components in new food channels, experiencing new flavor profiles
all the while individualizing the family meal.The foodservice industry is evolving with the consumer.Those companies looking for opportunity for
growth times have never been better. The consumer is dynamic not static are you
keeping pace?

Foodservice Solutions®
specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify,
quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand
leveraging integration strategy. Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche
visit: www.Linkedin.com/in/grocerantorwww.twitter.com/grocerant

Sunday, May 26, 2019

At the intersection of meal time and the family
sitting down for dinner is the meal planner’s conundrum; how to make everyone
happy with What’s for Dinner and ensure they all get a balanced meal. Sandridge Food Corporation understands that
the consumer is dynamic not static and they are providing a solution to the conundrum,
What’s for Dinner with relevance according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma
WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

If success leaves clues and it does. Sandridge Food a fresh food manufacturer, has positioned
itself at the intersection of consumer and the meal solutions consumers are in search
of according to Johnson. For
over 50 years, Sandridge Food has built a reputation as a leader in fresh food
manufacturing for both retail and food service.

As
Sandridge Food sustainability, growth, and fresh food positioning evolve in dinner entrée’s, side dishes, salads that complement their core legacy business they will play a
leading role in making the meal planners job much easier according to Johnson garnering a larger Share of Stomach.

Battle for Share of Stomach

The
opportunity to expand points of distribution with grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat
and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared meals, meal components continues to drive growth in
all sectors of retail food sales and Sandridge is a company that has the mix
and match meal component options retailers are looking for.

Sandridge
is committed to continually looking for cutting edge processes and identifying
flavor trends that make our customers respected and relevant in the food
industry. We partner with you to create and provide the flavors that tell your
brand story and build trust with your customers. With a focus on freshness and
delivering homestyle-flavor, Sandridge is the partner you want when big flavor
is what you need.

Sandridge’s
brand promise is to provide unrivalled fresh food that is reliable with
handmade quality that enhances our customers’ reputation. Is your company evolving
your fresh meal component options?Are
you focused on the customer?Are you a retailer
looking for new fresh prepared meal options?

Are If you looking
for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations?
Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow?
Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your
retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient
meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more
information.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Restaurant
demand for meals delivered shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon according
to Steven Johnson,
Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice
Solutions®.In fact, back in the day when Johnson sold /placed the first 7 national
restaurant chain accounts for cybermeals / food.com online ordering industry
sales hovered around 4% for meal takeout.

Today, 63%
of all restaurant traffic is for ‘off premise’ and the demand for delivery
show no signs of dwindling.What is
evolving is both independent restaurants and chain restaurants are tired of
paying high fees for ‘third-party’ delivery services driving the cost of a meal
up, and customers away.

There is a
sustainable path forward according to Johnson. It is a less expensive option
for food delivery that is deemed ‘better-for-you’ by Millennials those driving
the increase in demand for food delivery.The new option is doing delivery in-house using Phat
Scooters® is the leader in the personal and commercial electric scooter market according to Johnson.

Restaurant
understand that the times have come to change the way they delivery food, by
owing the experience, the customer and the data derived from the order. Path
Scooter is going to revolutionize the food delivery space with their new scooter, the Phleet.

The Phleet scooter is designed specifically for food delivery, the Phleet scooter boasts a powerful and silent 100% electric motor, a battery that goes up to 75 miles on a charge, and most importantly, the ability to drive in bike lave avoiding traffic and the need for parking spots.

So, why is this
scooter allowed to ride in the bike lane? The easy to ride Phleet has a 749-watt electric motor with a maximum speed of 20 MPH and fully operational pedals, therefore under most state laws it is considered a class II E-bike.

This category
does not require registration or specialty licensing, which keeps the scooter extremely economical for the restaurant operator. Additionally, it features three areas for food storage for doing large or multiple orders. The storage areas can be branded with your logo. Are you tired of paying for a third party to delivery food? Do you want to control your delivery, data, and ordering experience?

Are If you looking
for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations?
Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow?
Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your
retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient
meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more
information.

Friday, May 24, 2019

Millennials quest of discovery continues to drive food
retail in every sector of foodservice today according to Steven Johnson,
Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma,
WA based Foodservice Solutions®. When a product has
the ‘halo’ of sustainability around it, millennial adoption increases according
to Johnson.

It is at the intersection of water and packaging we find a
unique company garnering the attention of millennials, Gen Z, and Baby Boomers
that company is Pathwater.Today, water has become a focal point with
millennials and particularly how it is packaged.

Week after week we see pictures and or commercials on TV
highlighting the damage non-recycled plastic is doing to our oceans, waterways,
and wildlife. Plastic has increasingly become a deterrent in consumers path to
purchase particularly when it come to water bottles.

Pathwater has sets into a motion a movement and challenges
us to rise above our old plastic water bottle habit. It keeps water colder for
longer, is sustainable, affordable, and makes it easy for everyone to make the
shift from single-use plastic, once and for all.

Pathwater
found that aluminum is the only material that offers 100% endless
recyclability, as long as it’s put back into the recycling system.75% of all Aluminum ever produced is still actively in use
today. Aluminum recyclables are melted down then made
into new products, including new Pathwater bottles, infinitely.

Since China
is not buying our plastic like they once did; plastic recycling is has lost it
steam and many municipalities have stopped collecting many recyclables including
plastic.Other are increasing the
monthly charge to recycle. Millennials want to help solve this problem and are
leading the way with the adoption of products from companies the ilk of
Pathwater.

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Here we
go again, the restaurant sector is facing challenges from outside the
restaurant sector yet inside the food sector.
Back in the day pizza store fronts (delivery only) branded outlets
displaced many Italian restaurants, they also replaced companies the ilk of
Pizza Hut once had over 2,000 ‘red roof’ full-service restaurants. According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru®
at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

All
regular readers of this blog have driven by a virtual restaurant, Pizza Hut,
Domino’s, Papa John’s and most of you have virtual restaurant meals delivered
right to your door.Then there are companies
the ilk of Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Plated sure you have to
prepare them at home, cook them, then do dishes. All the while with a virtual
restaurant all you have to do is open the door and eat!

Foodservice
Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards indicate consumers consider new virtual
restaurants first to be ‘restaurant quality or better’ and second ‘a restaurant
meal replacement’ and third ‘special occasion dinning’. Now for the
undercurrents of success driving virtual restaurants and disruption:

1.Online
Ordering

2.Free
Wi-Fi

3.Digital
Menus

4.Digital
Loyalty

5.Mobile
Ordering

Just as
the lines between retail sectors have grown thinner so have storefronts.Today a storefront and can include your neighbor’s
kitchen, Pop-Up shipping-container-size kitchens, grocery stores, convenience
stores, dollar stores, and restaurants the ilk of Red Robin,
Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

In a
world where meal component assembly has become the new form of meal preparation
with 83.7% of family meals having at least one fresh prepared meal component,
the facts are clear cooking from scratch is a bygone era.Our question today is doe’s your food retail
outlet look more like yesterday or tomorrow?

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

The impossible
burger is complexity free in the minds-eye of the consumer as it has been
defined with exceptional transparency according to Tacoma, WA based Foodservice
Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson.

That
transparency elevates the impossible burger to the status of grocerant niche
‘Better-for-you’ fresh prepared food.
Then when portable and portioned for one or two it will to drive demand
in every sector of retail foodservice.

Consumers today are seeking
‘better-for-you’ fresh prepared food as meal components that can be bundled in
to a customized family meal according to Johnson. Does your team have the wrong
definition for Grocerant? Do you understand the Grocerant niche?

Grocery stores
of a bygone era thought they could respond to consumers demand to drive sales
simply by opening more stores, larger stores, or ‘scale’ a fresh food
department that looked like 1980’s rather than today. The restaurant sector is hell bent that they
will not let happen to them. There are chains
that will prove that wrong, however.

That did work
when most food choice came from a can, a jar, or a box that could sit on a
shelf for years and slotting fees paid for the shelf space. Simply put that was a
mindset of yesterday’s grocery retailers the ilk of A&P and others still
taking slotting fees.

Johnson continued
“retailers back in
the day felt that all they need was more scale to compete successfully with
other grocery stores. Today consumers demand fresh grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat
and Heat-N-Eat prepared food can be found at companies the ilk of Wegmans, Green Zebra Grocery, New Season Market, Wawa, Sheetz, KFC, McDonald’s, and Papa Murphy’s.

Complexity free
in the minds-eye of the consumer according to the team at Tacoma, WA based FoodserviceSolutions.us means, less
meal preparation time, little or no cooking, vegan, less food waste, less time
shopping, less packaging, local, fresh fast food, in-season food, and portions
for one or two.

In fact, one of the key finding was no matter
the size of the household fresh was best and the ability to mix and match meal
components was crucial. Does your
company look more like yesterday or tomorrow?

Foodservice
Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line
profits. Are you looking a customer ahead?
Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information
or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success
does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued
success.